If you’re an active Twitter user, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a seismic shift in the app’s identity recently. The iconic blue bird logo has flown the coop, making way for a striking white X on a sleek black backdrop. Equally conspicuous is the absence of the once-ubiquitous “Twitter” moniker; the app has been completely rebranded and now has the minimalistic name “X“
The burning question on everyone’s mind: What’s the deal with ‘Blaze Your Glory’?
This is not a prank or a hack but a deliberate rebrand by the visionary billionaire entrepreneur who acquired Twitter in 2022 and is planning a series of radical changes.
According to Musk, X is not just a superficial name change; it embodies a completely fresh approach to the platform. He envisions molding this into an “Everything App,” a versatile all-in-one app capable of handling messaging, payments, media, and more.
This blog post will explain why Twitter is called X now, what it means for the app and its users, and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead.
Why Did Twitter Change Its Name to X?
Twitter, the social media platform synonymous with tweets, hashtags, and memes for over 15 years, is no more. The platform still exists but has a new name, logo, and owner: Elon Musk.
The rebranding of Twitter as X shocked and confused many of its 240 million global users. But why did he do it? What does X mean? And what changes can we expect from the new app?
The rebrand was announced on July 23, 2023, without much warning or explanation. Musk later tweeted that he bought Twitter as an “accelerant” for X and that the Twitter name no longer made sense as the app evolved. He added that X will be powered by artificial intelligence and will soon enable users to conduct their entire financial world on the app.
Musk has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the current state of social media, which he believes is dominated by misinformation, censorship, and manipulation. He has also expressed interest in creating an “everything app” that can compete with platforms like WeChat in China, which offers various services and functions within one app.
Musk has launched a separate AI company called xAI, which aims to develop a generative AI program that can create content and interact with users on X. He has also hinted at integrating other projects he is involved in, such as SpaceX, Neuralink, and Starlink, into X.
The X Rebranding Initiative
The rebranding of Twitter to X was not a sudden whim but rather a strategic decision that Musk had hinted at since he bought the platform in October 2022 for $44 billion. Musk’s vision was to transform Twitter into an “Everything App” offering more than just social networking.
He wanted to create a platform where users could communicate, shop, consume entertainment, and manage their finances all in one place.
Musk was inspired by China’s WeChat, a super app with over 1 billion users, and offers various services, such as messaging, payments, e-commerce, gaming, news, and more. Musk said he wanted to make X “so usable and helpful to daily life” that users would “Basically Live On” the app.
Musk said that the Twitter name no longer made sense to achieve this goal, as it was too limiting and did not reflect the platform’s full potential. He also said that he wanted to use the X name as a tribute to his original venture, X.com, which he founded in 1999 as an online bank and later merged with PayPal.
Does This Transformation Hold Significance?
Well, at the core of every rebrand lies a shift in corporate strategy, and Twitter has experienced significant changes. The current state of affairs – this gradual introduction of X caught many users off guard, resulting in trends such as “What is X” and “X-app” on the platform.
However, just because the concept of rebranding makes sense doesn’t guarantee that the X rollout was a success.
Rebrands are fundamentally about change management. This change has not only affected the organization’s structure, resulting in mass layoffs, but it has also disrupted corporate culture, altered the revenue model, and aims to transform the platform into a super app. Changing the name is also logical if such significant changes are happening.
Rebranding occurs when a company undergoes substantial transformation, which should be reflected in its vision, culture, performance indicators, and processes.
Moreover, the current press mailbox, which still uses an email address from Twitter.com, did not reply when asked how the new brand was being communicated to advertising partners. This highlights that the platform, previously known as Twitter, has been underperforming, with a projected loss of around $2 billion in ad revenue in the last year since Musk became the CEO.
A sense of confusion, doubt, and mistrust also persists among the platform’s most active users. While Twitter’s brand equity has diminished, it remains one of the few brands commonly used as nouns and verbs in everyday language.
In short, a successful rebranding effort must align with a new mission statement, value proposition, product features, and assets, typically established before the new brand is unveiled.
A hasty rebrand often fails. Currently, there is no clear understanding of what Twitter as a brand means. The X seems out of place and cut off, leaving consumers unsure of how this new name relates to the product. It seems that the X was arbitrarily chosen and added to the branding documents.
What should we watch for? This creates an opportunity for other social platforms like Threads and TikTok to attract disenchanted Twitter users by offering what X is leaving behind.
What’s Coming to X Next?
The most obvious change in X is the logo. The familiar blue bird that has been the symbol of Twitter since 2006 has been replaced by a simple gray letter X. The app icons for iOS and Android have also changed to X, while the browser version still uses the twitter.com URL. The popular Twitter dashboard program – Tweetdeck – has been renamed XPro.
But the rebranding is more than just cosmetic. X has also introduced new changes to make the app more versatile and user-friendly. Some of these include:
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Transformation of Familiar Terminology by X
The X application has introduced notable changes to some terms ingrained in our online lexicon.
For instance, the conventional “Tweets” will now be referred to as “posts,” and the act of sharing someone else’s content, previously known as “retweets,” will now go by the term “reposts.” Although the user interface retains its familiarity with Twitter’s design, a striking change is the prominent presence of X‘s new logo displayed prominently on the app and website masthead.
X is poised to evolve into what Elon Musk envisions as an ‘everything app,’ offering its members a broad spectrum of functionalities. Beyond micro-blogging, X is set to enable users to engage in banking and messaging activities.
Additionally, there are hints of future video-calling capabilities. These aspirations have led to comparisons with versatile platforms that cater to an array of user needs.
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X’s Reliance on Paid Subscriptions for Sustainability
Even before the introduction of the X logo, Twitter, under Elon Musk’s leadership, made a strategic move to place all of its core features behind a subscription-based model. Initially branded as Twitter Blue, the X Blue subscription plan is priced at $8 per month and bestows a host of privileges upon its subscribers.
Let’s look at X Blue’s key offerings:
- The ability to edit posts within an hour of posting.
- Reduced ad exposure, with a 50% reduction in ad visibility.
- Elevated ranking in conversations and search results.
- Posts can now contain up to 25,000 characters instead of the usual 280-character limit.
- Enhanced text formatting options for posts.
- Convenient bookmark folders.
- Personalized app icons and navigation bars.
- A dedicated Spaces Tab for seamless interaction.
- Access to top articles.
- An option to undo posts.
- Longer video uploads.
- Customizable app themes.
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Enhanced Security With Two-factor Authentication Via SMS
Most notably, X Blue subscribers receive the highly coveted blue verification badge, a privilege formerly reserved for prominent figures on Twitter.
For users who opt not to subscribe to X Blue, their experience on the platform will be marked by a noticeable presence of advertisements in their timelines.
Furthermore, these users will face limitations in reaching the ‘For You’ tab and cannot participate in Twitter polls. Notably, legacy blue checkmark holders have also seen their verification badges revoked if they choose not to embrace X Blue.
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A Sweeping Overhaul of the Company
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter marked a significant restructuring effort. The company underwent substantial downsizing, leading to the departure of thousands of employees from around the world. Notably, the former CEO, Parag Agarwal – who took over the role following Jack Dorsey‘s departure, was among those who left the company.
Initially, Musk took on the role of Twitter’s interim CEO, humorously referred to as the ‘Chief Twit,’ before eventually handing over the reins of daily operations to Linda Yaccarino, a former executive from NBC Universal, earlier this year.
Final Verdict
Twitter’s rebrand to X is Elon Musk’s bold and ambitious move that could either make or break the platform. While some users may welcome X‘s new features and services, others may be reluctant to embrace the change and stick to the old Twitter.
The success of X will depend on how well it can balance the needs and expectations of its diverse and loyal user base and how it can compete with other platforms that offer similar or better services. Only time will tell if X can live up to Musk’s vision and become the ultimate everything app.
We’re eager to hear your thoughts on X! Do you appreciate the new name and logo? Are you already exploring or planning to dive into X‘s innovative features? Share your insights with us in the comments below!
